Multi-platform exploration of lullabies from around the world

The Lomax Collection reflects a variety of human experience—from the sacred to the profane, from the rural to the urban, and from the public square to the domestic scene. John A. and Alan Lomax recorded lullabies all over the world, creating a record of the universality of these particularly intimate moments between parents and children. The Association for Cultural Equity and its Lomax Digital Archive has put together a multi-faceted exploration of these recordings in an online exhibit, an episode of the Been All Around This World podcast, and a compilation pairing some of our favorite lullabies from the archive with new interpretations by contemporary artists.

Visit the exhibit, “Go to Sleepy Little Baby,” here.

Listen to the podcast episode (and subscribe to the show) here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Stream and purchase the compilation, “Hush the Waves are Rolling in,” via the Lomax Archive Bandcamp.

In the coming weeks the No Quarter label will release a 7” EP of two of the archival recordings alongside interpretations by Myriam Gendron and Joan Shelley, and the Association for Cultural Equity will host a presentation of these lullabies in collaboration with some of the contributing artists at the Brooklyn Folk Festival (www.brooklynfolkfest.com), November 10-12, 2023.

This project was made possible with funding from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Thanks to our funders and our colleagues at the American Folklife Center.